Karyn, Gosia, Sarah, Shannon, and Charles are all very talented individuals from various backgrounds and journeys in life.
	Skydive Chicago Furies
Karyn Rees Point		Sarah Lawrence Inside Center
	Charles Lane Video
Gosia Cienkosz Outside Center		Shannon Sweet Tail

The Origin of the Dream

Formed in 2003 at Skydive Chicago, the Furies started as just a couple of girls who were new to the sport, seeking to improve their skydiving technique in a low-key, comfortable environment that still offered a little bit of method and structure. Since then the sport has taken each of the girls on a very personal journey, and as their skills and camaraderie have grown, so have their aspirations. Through their discoveries and achievements in competition, they have been inspired to encourage others to set aside their fears and strive for success in all aspects of life.

What is a "Women's Formation Skydiving Team"?

One of several events within modern sport parachuting, the Furies' specialization, four-way, is a formation event judged on precision and speed. On the day of competition, teams are given a specific set of formations or move sequences to complete, and each correctly completed move constitutes one point. In 35 seconds of freefall, the team turns as many points as possible, and scores are tallied at the end of ten jumps. Although four-way is the most popular event nationally, and meets in the United States are "mixed gender," few all-female teams compete. It is even joked that the girls who compete in four-way have to act and look like men to fit in. Part of the Skydive Chicago Furies mission is to show that women can not only do well in four-way, but also maintain their friendly, approachable, feminine personalities in the process.

This is Just the Beginning

The past seasons have taught them volumes not only about the basics of formation skydiving, but also about teamwork, perseverance, and most importantly, about themselves. In 2003, the Furies increased their average scores by 150%. In 2004, they doubled their average, and in 2005 came close to tripling their score from the previous year. In 2006, they won the bronze medal (3rd place) in 4-way Intermediate. In 2009, they won the gold medal (1st place) in 4-way Advanced. Over the years the girls have dealt with everything from injury to pregnancy, from personality conflicts to financial hardship, from 0-point skydives to 30-point skydives, and everything in between. Yet by most standards in the sport, they are still a "new team."

Entering the Future

When the Skydive Chicago Furies started out, they had no idea where they would end up as a team, but just wanted to have fun getting there. Nothing has really changed. Through their goals are slightly more defined, and their knowledge of formation skydiving has certainly developed, the girls are still heading into the future with wide-eyed anticipation. The difference now is that, in addition to a solid base of skydiving skills, they have a stronger bond of teamwork than most teams. Not only does each team member know the others' hopes and dreams, strengths and weaknesses, and favorite colors, but they also know how to read and communicate with each other to create the best environment for each teammate on every skydive. While there will always be more to learn about four-way skydiving, the Skydive Chicago Furies are confident in their foundation of skills and communication, so that training can focus on the most minute details of engineering and speed, leading the team to really live up to their potential.